With just one game to go before semi-finals, there’s only one team that can really upset the apple cart this week in Mid Canterbury Netball’s ACL Premier 1 competition.

The top spot is secure – Celtic Auric Electrical A are top of the table, unbeaten, and can’t be overtaken – with Mt Somers Victory Lime six points back in second and Hampstead Ray White A and Methven Wareings jointly third on 8 points. All three of those teams will be eager to win on Thursday night to try and avoid fourth spot and a daunting semi-final showdown with Celtic, but only two will be able to do that with Mt Somers and Methven playing each other this week at the EA Networks Centre, while Hampstead take on College A.

With College A winless at the bottom of the table, that just leaves Wilsons Windscreens Allenton A in fifth, one point outside of that top four. While they’re still very much a semi-final chance and in a good place with a win, a draw and a bonus point to their names so far in the championship round, they have the toughest end to the round robin, with Celtic their opposition on Thursday.

It's a similar story in ACL Premier 2, with Heatwise Allenton B sitting in fifth spot and still a chance of making the semis, but they also have a tough opposition in front of them to finish the championship round, in College Y10A.

College Y10A have been a frontrunner all season, but the end is shaping up to be tight in ACL Premier 2. Rakaia ProShear are also clear title contenders, but Methven EuroAgri have hit form in recent weeks too and will be a force at the business end, while Hampstead Ray White B are also still well and truly in the mix despite a bad run of injuries.

This week, Methven EuroAgri has bottom placed Southern NBS to play in the first game of the night, followed by College Y10A and Allenton B, then Rakaia ProShear and Hampstead B.

In ACL Premier 3 the top three are secure in the semi-finals – College B, United KFC A and Methven Shearmac – while the fourth spot will come down to this week’s matches.

Rakaia Seed Cleaning take on United to start the night, followed by College B and Methven Shearmac, before Hampstead Ray White U18 Development take on Celtic Morrison Agri B.

Semi-finals for the ACL Premier competition will be held next Thursday night, August 22, followed by finals night the following week, Thursday 29 August.

Meanwhile, Saturday netball is also heading into the business end, with semi-finals this weekend (August 17) and finals next weekend (August 24) for the Ashburton New World Junior Competition (Y7-8) teams, and the KFC/Bellissimo Senior Youth Competition.

Social netball finals are being held tomorrow night (Wednesday 14 August) at the EA Networks Centre, with the big game – the Neumanns Social 1 final – being played at 8.10pm between Methven Blue Pub and Hampstead Social A.

The Jennian Social 2 final between Hampstead Ray White Social Gold and Celtic Masters will be played at 7.05pm, while the N B Chartered Accountants Social 3 final between Mt Somers Fee Ensor and Southern Welshy’s Contracting and the TSG The Lock Shop Social 4 final between Southern Talleys and the United KFC Krushers will both be played at 6pm.

Article added: Tuesday 13 August 2024